Russia has said more than 80,000 people in Ukraine’s Kherson region have been left without power after Kyiv’s strikes on its energy infrastructure.
Some 84,000 people are still without power in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson region after Ukrainian strikes this week on energy infrastructure, a senior Russian official said on Thursday.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the region, said Ukrainian attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday damaged a power substation, initially leaving almost 100,000 people in 96 settlements without electricity.
It comes as Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy grid with over 300 drones and 37 missiles in the early hours of Thursday. Volodymyr Zelensky said that “this autumn, the Russians use every single day to strike at our energy infrastructure”.
The strike follows Zelensky’s promise that Ukraine had “already prepared our part of the homework” ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump on Friday, where possible supplies of American long-range Tomahawk missiles and Kyiv's desire to "go on the offensive" are expected to be discussed.
“Every detail is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who is helping.
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Key Points
- Ukrainians jolted awake by massive pre-dawn missile barrage
- Hegseth warns Moscow of 'costs' if war does not end
- Rare anti-war protest in St Petersburg after singer's arrest
- India to stop buying Russian oil, Trump claims
- Kremlin denies Trump’s warning that Russian economy set to ‘collapse’
Tomahawk missiles are Trump’s ace card for Ukraine – Zelensky says it’s time to play it
15:30
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine armed forces unload shells for M114 self-propelled howitzer in Donetsk
15:00
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine in talks with international allies to raise funds for gas as energy infrastructures targeted
14:30
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine's cash-strapped government is in talks with international allies to raise funds to import more for gas the cold autumn and winter months.
Its air force said direct hits of 14 missiles and 37 drones were recorded overnight at 14 locations in the barrage, while 283 drones and five missiles were downed.
Russian drone strikes have also caused power cuts, with Ukraine limiting supplies to industrial consumers on Thursday.
Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed its forces had carried out a "massive strike" on Ukrainian gas infrastructure, which it said was supporting Kyiv's military, in retaliation for what it said were Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv has ramped up its own attacks on Russian oil refineries in border regions and beyond, including on an oil refinery in the Saratov region on Thursday. Zelensky, who is due to meet president Donald Trump on Friday during a visit to the US, issued a fresh appeal for more long-range capabilities for Ukraine.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has turned a deaf ear to everything the world says, so the only language that can still get through to him is the language of pressure," he said.
"That is exactly what I will be discussing today and tomorrow in Washington."
Watch: Zelensky says preparations underway for his White House meeting with Trump
14:00
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine hit with over 300 drones and 37 missiles as Zelensky calls for United States help in ending war
13:30
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Bryony Gooch
Zelensky has called on the United States and Europe to pursue “momentum towards peace” following a large Russian overnight assault.
Russia launched more than 300 attack drones and 37 missiles, a significant number of them ballistic, against Ukraine, the Ukrainian president said in a statement on social media. The strikes targeted people, the energy sector and civilian infrastructure.
“Infrastructure in the Vinnytsia, Sumy, and Poltava regions came under attack. In the Chernihiv region, the city of Nizhyn was struck – the post office was damaged, and one person was injured. In the Kharkiv region, the enemy targeted critical infrastructure and a State Emergency Service department. There are wounded.
“Recovery efforts are underway everywhere. Emergency services are working. And there is confirmation that the Russians are using double terror – attacking with ‘shaheds’ carrying cluster munitions and launching repeated strikes to injure firefighters and energy workers who are restoring damaged facilities.
He continued: “This autumn, the Russians use every single day to strike at our energy infrastructure. Putin has turned a deaf ear to everything the world says, so the only language that can still get through to him is the language of pressure – pressure through sanctions and pressure through long-range capabilities.
“Strong decisions are possible, decisions that can help. And this depends on the United States, on Europe, on all partners whose strength directly determines whether the war will be ended. Now there is an important momentum toward peace in the Middle East. In Europe, this is also possible. That is exactly what I will be discussing today and tomorrow in Washington.”
Last night brought strikes against our people, our energy sector, and our civilian infrastructure. Russia launched more than 300 attack drones and 37 missiles, a significant number of them ballistic, against Ukraine. Infrastructure in the Vinnytsia, Sumy, and Poltava regions came… pic.twitter.com/bH3TipG4d2
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 16, 2025
Recap: Zelensky says 'we have already prepared our part of the homework' for Trump meeting
13:00
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Bryony Gooch
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is prepared for its meeting with US president Trump, taking into account military and economic “homework.”
He said in a statement on X: “We have already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who is helping.
“This can truly bring the war closer to an end – it is the United States that can wield this kind of global influence, and we are doing everything to ensure that others around the world stand on our side in this effort.”
We have already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who… pic.twitter.com/Jwpp5bdn5h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 15, 2025
Lavrov warns Tomahawk missile supplies could derail US-Russia relations
12:30
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Shweta Sharma
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow has warned that supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv would deal a “colossal blow” to prospects of normalising relations between the US and Russia, which he said were already damaged by previous administrations.
He described Europe’s role in the Ukrainian conflict as pushing the US into “Trump’s war” and claimed European leaders were issuing “shameless ultimatums” to President Donald Trump.
"This will simply deal a colossal blow to the prospects of normalizing relations between Russia and the US, and of breaking out of the complete deadlock into which the Biden administration has driven these relations,” he said.
His comments come as the Trump administration weighs Kyiv’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles ahead of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with Trump.
Shipments of Tomahawk missiles are set to be a key topic when President Zelensky meets President Trump later this week.
Russia claims it is awaiting US 'response' to Trump-Putin summit
12:00
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Shweta Sharma
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is awaiting a response from Washington following the recent Alaska summit, Tass reported.
“We still expect a concrete response to results of the negotiations in Alaska,” Lavrov told Kommersant.
He added that Russia remains committed to the outcomes of the summit and is ready to discuss specific issues with the US at any level, including the presidential level.
Moscow is seeking clarity from Washington on follow-up actions and potential next steps after the high-level talks in Alaska in August, he said.
Ukraine needs up to $20bn in US weapons through Nato programme, defence minister says
11:30
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Shweta Sharma
Ukraine will need between $12bn and $20bn worth of military aid next year as part of a new Nato initiative to purchase US weapons, defence minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a defence summit in Brussels, he added that Ukraine is capable of producing 10 million drones in 2026 with sufficient financing from allies, but that it also needs more long-range artillery shells as it fights Russian forces.
Ukraine says it struck Russia's Saratov oil refinery overnight
11:19
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Shweta Sharma
Ukraine struck Russia's Saratov oil refinery overnight, the Ukrainian military general staff said in a statement on Telegram on Thursday.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) said: "The Saratov Refinery is one of the oldest Russian oil refining enterprises, formerly known as the Cracking Plant, and is part of the Rosneft oil company.”
"The volume of oil processing as of 2020 is 7.2 million tons, and in 2023 it is 4.8 million tons. Recall that the SSO struck this facility exactly a month ago, on Sept. 16, 2025."
Videos purported to show a drone striking an oil refinery, where a fire subsequently broke out.
Saratov Oblast governor Roman Busargin said that at around 1am at night the defence ministry received information about a potential drone attack.
Operations at Saratov's airport were temporarily suspended, said Federal Air Transport Agency, also known as Rosaviatsiya.
Russia confirms it carried out a massive overnight strike on Ukrainian energy
11:10
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Shweta Sharma
Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had carried out a massive overnight strike on Ukrainian gas infrastructure which supports Kyiv's military in retaliation for what it said were Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia had launched a barrage of more than 300 drones and 37 missiles to target infrastructure across Ukraine in the overnight attacks.
Bessent says US expects Japan to stop buying Russian energy
11:00
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Shweta Sharma
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he told Japanese finance minister Katsunobu Kato that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy.
"Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the US-Japan economic relationship and the Administration's expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy," Bessent said on X, after the two met on Wednesday.
Bessent and Kato met on the sidelines of the annual International Monetary Fund meeting, and the G7 and G20 finance leaders' gatherings held this week in Washington.
"Japan will do what it can based on the basic principle of coordinating with G7 countries to achieve peace in Ukraine in a fair manner," Kato told reporters, when asked whether Japan was urged by Bessent to stop importing Russian energy.
Tokyo has agreed with other G7 countries to phase out Russian oil imports in response to Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
However, Japan continues to buy Sakhalin Blend crude, a byproduct of liquefied natural gas production at the Sakhalin-2 project, which is vital to Japan's energy security as it accounts for about 9% of its LNG imports.
ICYMI: IMF chief plans to travel to Ukraine, IMF spokesperson says
10:31
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Shweta Sharma
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva intends to visit Ukraine at a time that has not yet been determined, an IMF spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Georgieva visited Ukraine in February 2023 and plans to visit again, but the timing is still undecided, the spokesperson said. The IMF chief's plans were first reported by Bloomberg.
Ukrainian officials met with backer countries, the IMF and the World Bank on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington.
Ukraine is in talks with the IMF about a new four-year lending program for the country that would replace the current four-year $15.5bn program with the Fund. Ukraine has already received $10.6bn of that amount.
"Our staff remains actively engaged with the Ukrainian authorities on macroeconomic policies aimed at maintaining stability, financing essential expenditures, and restoring debt sustainability with a view to continued IMF support," the IMF spokesperson said.
A new program is needed since the program agreed on in 2023 assumed the war would end in late 2025. With that prospect still not in sight, the assumptions underlying the initial loan have to be reworked, according to sources familiar with the process.
Nato chief mocks ‘broken’ Russian submarine as it resurfaces off English Channel
10:00
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Shweta Sharma
Nato chief Mark Rutte has mocked one of Russia’s submarines for “limping home from patrol”, claiming the vessel had been forced to surface because of technical problems.
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied its diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had suffered a serious malfunction, after it surfaced in French waters on the weekend and was escorted by Dutch authorities through the English Channel.
Mr Rutte’s public ridicule of Moscow’s military capability signals tensions between Europe and Russia continue to escalate in the midst of the war in Ukraine.
Nord Stream sabotage suspect wins reprieve in Italian court battle
09:30
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Shweta Sharma
Italy’s top court has temporarily blocked the extradition of a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline attacks, his lawyer said Wednesday.
The suspect, identified only as Serhii K under German privacy laws, was arrested in August near Rimini on a European warrant issued by Germany over the explosions that damaged the Baltic Sea pipelines supplying Russian gas to Europe.
The Court of Cassation, Italy’s highest court, upheld an appeal against his transfer, agreeing with the defence that there was an “incorrect legal classification of the facts” underlying the European Arrest Warrant, lawyer Nicola Canestrini said.
The case will return to court on a date yet to be confirmed.
Canestrini added: “In light of today’s outcome, I will assess in the next few days whether the conditions exist to request my client’s release, as the legal basis for his detention has now been removed.”
The Nord Stream explosions in September 2022, widely described as sabotage, largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe, escalating the Ukraine conflict and creating energy shortages across the continent. No group has claimed responsibility, and Ukraine has denied involvement.
German prosecutors said the suspect was part of a team that planted devices on the pipelines near Bornholm, and he faces charges including collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of important structures.
Serhii K had previously challenged a ruling ordering his extradition to Germany, taking the case to Italy’s highest court.
Ukraine has relied on trains during the war - Russia is creating new technology to target them
09:00
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Shweta Sharma
Ukraine has relied on trains during the war - Russia is creating new technology to target them
As war rages on in Ukraine, the country has become reliant on its rail networks, which it has so far managed to keep running despite repeated strikes.
But officials and analysts are warning that advances in Russian drone capabilities and the growing tempo of attacks pose a serious threat to the vital infrastructure.
Read more below.
Rare anti-war protest in St Petersburg after singer's arrest
08:30
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Shweta Sharma
St Petersburg’s town centre saw a rare public display of dissent on Wednesday evening as hundreds gathered to sing anti-war songs.
In Kazanskaya Square, protesters joined in chanting the lyrics of Noize MC, a pro-Ukrainian rapper who fled Russia for Lithuania after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine:
“Where have you been for eight years, you f***ing monsters? I want to watch ballet, let the swans dance.”
Young Russians sing a forbidden song in St Petersburg.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 14, 2025
Noize MC is a Russian pro-Ukrainian rapper forced to live in exile in Lithuania.
The crowd sings his song “Cooperative Swan Lake” in which he calls for Putin to be overthrown pic.twitter.com/qHrn1v1Gq6
The song had been banned by a St. Petersburg court in May.
The protest erupted after 18-year-old singer Diana Loginova was arrested by police for leading the crowd.
Loginova’s mother, Irina, told Russian media her daughter “has no political stance” and sang the song because it was “popular.” She added that Diana is a “patriot of our country,” loves Russia, and has no plans to leave or support Ukraine.
Public opposition to the war appears to be growing in Russia, fueled by mounting casualties and an expanding military draft.
Russia launched 37 missiles and 300+ drones in missile barrage
08:04
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Shweta Sharma
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has reported that Russia carried out a massive overnight assault, launching over 300 drones and 37 missiles across multiple regions of the country.
"This autumn, the Russians use every single day to strike at our energy infrastructure," Zelenskiy said on X on Thursday.
The attacks triggered air raid sirens nationwide and targeted both civilian and critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, as winter approaches.
Early reports indicate explosions in Kharkiv, Izium, Kropyvnytskyi, Poltava, and Chernihiv, though details on casualties and damage are still emerging.
Russia blames Nato for drone incidents over EU countries
07:34
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Shweta Sharma
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) chief said on Thursday that Moscow has no doubt about Nato’s security services' involvement in incidents with alleged Russian drones over EU territory, RIA cited him as saying.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed the creation of a defensive "drone wall" after about 20 Russian drones allegedly entered the airspace of EU and Nato member Poland last month.
Kremlin denies Trump’s warning that Russian economy set to ‘collapse’
07:19
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Shweta Sharma
The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Donald Trump's warning of Russian economic collapse, asserting its "considerable reserves" and strength to achieve President Vladimir Putin's goals.
Mr Trump had stated that Putin should settle the Ukraine war, which he claimed was making Russia "look bad", also mentioning "long lines waiting for gasoline" and predicting the Russian "economy is going to collapse".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while not directly commenting on Mr Trump's remarks, said Putin was open to ending the war and Moscow was grateful for Mr Trump's efforts.
"As for the Russian economy, it has a sufficient and considerable margin of safety to allow the country's leadership and all of us to implement the plans that we set for ourselves," Mr Peskov told reporters.
He also clarified the BRICS grouping, called "an attack on the dollar" by Mr Trump, was never aimed at other countries or their currencies.
Ukrainian energy company halts operations after Russian bombardment
07:11
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Shweta Sharma
Ukrainian private energy company DTEK said that a Russian overnight attack on energy infrastructure halted operations at its gas production facilities in Poltava region.
"Overnight, the enemy once again attacked DTEK Naftogaz's energy infrastructure with drones and missiles," the company wrote in a statement on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday.
Pictures show impact from Russia's pre-dawn missile barrage
07:00
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Shweta Sharma
Pictures have emerged to show the immediate aftermath of Russia’s large-scale missile barrage across Ukraine on Thursday morning.
An apartment building in the Ukrainian town of Nizhyn, Chernihiv was in flames after a Russian drone strike.
Authorities have not yet released information on casualties or damage, and attacks remain ongoing.
Putin’s top ally warns if Trump gives missiles to Ukraine it could lead to ‘nuclear war’
06:31
,
Shweta Sharma
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a loyal ally of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, has warned President Donald Trump that the U.S. handing subsonic Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would mean “nuclear war.”
Trump is reportedly considering a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the Tomahawks, which have a 1,500-mile range that would enable Kyiv to strike much deeper into Russian territory, hitting strategic targets such as the invader’s enemy infrastructure, military bases, and munitions factories.
Zelensky has argued that ramping up the arms available to his country would increase the pressure on the Kremlin to agree to a peace deal.
Russia arrests viral street musician for anti-Putin performance
06:11
,
Shweta Sharma
Police in St Petersburg have arrested 18-year-old street musician Diana Loginova after a video of her leading a crowd in singing an anti-Putin rock song went viral, local media reported Wednesday.
Loginova, who performs under the name Naoko with the band Stoptime, could face two administrative charges: “discrediting” the Russian military and organising an unauthorised public gathering. She may also face up to 15 days in detention.
The video shows Loginova in central St Petersburg leading the crowd in the lyrics of exiled rapper Noize MC’s “Swan Lake Cooperative”, a song referencing the Ozero dacha cooperative, formed by Putin’s friends in the mid-1990s.
In St. Petersburg, police detained street singer Diana “Naoko” Loginova for performing songs by “foreign agents” Noize MC and Monetochka.
— Natasha from Russia (@natashasrussia) October 15, 2025
Her latest performance of “Cooperative Swan Lake” a song mocking propaganda and longing for normal life went viral.(I’m not sharing it, don’t… pic.twitter.com/ZT33gyqeMB
The lyrics draw on imagery from the Swan Lake ballet, which became a symbol of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
In the viral clip, the crowd sings: “I want to watch the ballet, let the swans dance. Let the old man shake in fear for his lake.”
In May 2025, a court banned “Swan Lake Cooperative” as “extremist”, ruling that the song constituted “propaganda for a violent government overthrow” and a threat to the “moral and ethical development” of minors.
Trump has threatened to give Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine - but can they turn the tide of the war?
05:59
,
Shweta Sharma
As Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with drone attacks, president Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated and increasingly urgent calls for Kyiv to have access to more powerful and expansive weapons.
The US-made Tomahawk could be the answer to his problems. A long-range missile with huge potential for precision strikes deep in enemy territory, access to the weapon would provide Ukraine with a new kind of military might - and it may not be as far away as it once was.
Donald Trump has threatened to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in a renewed push to get Vladimir Putin to end the war. With Zelensky set to visit Washington on Friday, the leaders have said the provision of the weapons will be a major topic to be discussed.
If Trump follows through on his threats, Ukraine could significantly expand its strike capabilities, enabling it to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including military bases, logistics hubs, airfields and command centres that are currently beyond reach.
Trump plans ‘Ukraine Victory Fund’ financed by new tariffs on China
05:49
,
Shweta Sharma
US president Donald Trump is preparing to launch a “Ukraine Victory Fund” that would be financed through new tariffs on Chinese imports.
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has been instructed to present the proposal to European counterparts ahead of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Friday, where the two leaders are expected to discuss military support and Ukraine’s long-term defence funding.
“President Trump has instructed the ambassador and myself to tell our European allies that we would be in favour of whether you would call it a ‘Russian oil tariff’ on China or a ‘Ukrainian victory tariff’ on China,” Bessent told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
“But our Ukrainian or European allies have to be willing to follow. We will respond if our European partners will join us.”
The proposed “Ukraine Victory Fund” would effectively link China trade tariffs to the war effort in Europe, adding a new layer of economic pressure to Trump’s foreign policy.
From the ground: Ukrainians jolted awake by massive pre-dawn missile barrage
05:33
,
Sam Kiley
Ukrainians were woken before dawn by another massive missile attack and air raid sirens as Russia was reported to have launched long range missiles from Mig-31 fighter-bombers capable of carrying the hypersonic Khinzal rocket.
Kharkiv and Izium, Kropyvnytskyi (Kirovohrad Oblast), and Poltava, all reported the sounds of explosions.
A team from the Ukrainian presidency is in Washington DC in talks with US officials and defence manufacturers seeking supplies of badly depleted air defence systems.
The latest wave of attacks are part of an increased Russian effort to cripple Ukraine’s energy supply systems as winter approaches and heating becomes a necessity countrywide.
Further exploiting fog and rain, Russian forces have used the cover of bad weather to launch conventional ground attacks on Ukraine’s eastern front around Pokrovsk.
Rain, high winds and bad visibility inhibit the operations of Ukraine’s attack drones which have driven Russian armour from the battlefield over the summer.
Ukraine claimed to have seen off the latest Russian assault, but the limitations of drone warfare in winter weather is likely to be further exploited by Russia, which has also fast developed its own systems of unmanned killing machines extending front lines into strips of blasted territory manned by tiny pockets of soldiers hiding from the cheaply produced drones.
Russia launches massive pre-dawn missile barrage across Ukraine
05:23
,
Shweta Sharma
Ukraine’s Air Force has issued a nationwide missile alert after Russia launched a large-scale attack in the early hours of Monday, targeting multiple regions across the country.
Air raid sirens sounded nationwide as Ukraine warned that Russian MiG-31 bombers carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had taken off.
A second MiG-31 took off from the Savasleyka airfield in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, according to Ukrainian officials, Kyiv Independent reported.
The Kinzhal missiles the aircraft carry can strike deep inside Ukrainian territory at supersonic speeds, making them difficult to intercept.
Explosions have been reported in Kharkiv, Izium, Kropyvnytskyi, and Poltava, according to the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. A second wave of blasts was later confirmed in Chernihiv, with additional detonations heard again in Kharkiv.
Authorities have not yet released information on casualties or damage, and attacks remain ongoing.
Ukraine’s Air Force said the assault involved ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as swarms of Shahed-style drones launched from multiple directions.
Hegseth warns Moscow of 'costs' if war does not end
04:45
,
Shweta Sharma
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Moscow that Washington and its allies will “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” if the war in Ukraine does not end.
Speaking at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Nato headquarters, Hegseth said the US War Department was prepared to act “in ways that only the United States can.” He did not specify what those steps might entail.
His comments come as the Trump administration weighs Kyiv’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
“Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table,” Hegseth said, adding, “This is not a war that started on President Trump’s watch – but it will end on his watch.”
Mr Hegseth urged Nato allies to boost spending on US-made weapons for Ukraine, citing a recent report that showed a sharp drop in Western military support for Kyiv in July and August.
"You get peace when you are strong – not when you use strong words or wag your fingers," he told reporters at Nato headquarters earlier in the day.
"You get it when you have strong and real capabilities that adversaries respect."
US pressures Japan to halt Russian oil imports
04:01
,
Shweta Sharma
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said he has urged Japan to halt all imports of Russian energy, signalling a harder line from the Trump administration toward allies maintaining limited trade ties with Moscow.
“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the US–Japan economic relationship and the Administration's expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent posted on X after his meeting with Japan’s finance minister Katsunobu Kato in Washington.
The two met on the sidelines of the IMF annual meetings and the G7 and G20 finance leaders’ gatherings being held this week in Washington."
Japan will do what it can based on the basic principle of coordinating with G7 countries to achieve peace in Ukraine in a fair manner," Kato told reporters, when asked whether Japan was urged by Bessent to stop importing Russian energy.
Tokyo has already pledged to phase out Russian oil imports as part of the G7’s coordinated sanctions response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
However, Japan continues to buy Sakhalin Blend crude – a byproduct of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia’s Far East.
The energy source remains crucial for Japan, providing about 9 per cent of its total LNG imports, a key component of its energy security.
IMF chief plans to visit Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
04:00
,
Harriette Boucher
The International Monetary Fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, plans to travel to Ukraine, supporting its efforts to secure a new loan package in the fourth year of the war, Bloomberg has reported.
An IMF spokesperson said: “Our staff remains actively engaged with the Ukrainian authorities on macroeconomic policies aimed at maintaining stability, financing essential expenditures, and restoring debt sustainability, with a view to continued IMF support.”
The exact time of the visit is yet to be determined.
India to stop buying Russian oil, Trump claims
03:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, India's top oil supplier, but could not halt its shipments “immediately”.
The announcement comes as Trump tries to step up efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy funding.
"Now I've got to get China to do the same thing," Trump told reporters.
The Indian embassy in Washington has not yet confirmed this.
Zelensky and Greek PM discuss possibility of U.S.-supplied natural gas
02:00
,
Harriette Boucher
Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed the possibility of the U.S. supplying natural gas to Ukraine as it struggles with the consequences of Russia’s multiple attacks on the country’s energy system.
Ukraine’s president said he was working to strengthen its air defence as much as possible before winter begins.
Ukraine has prepared its 'homework' ahead of meeting with Trump, says Zelensky
01:02
,
Harriette Boucher
Ukraine has prepared its “part of the homework” ahead of Zelensky’s meeting with Trump in Washington on Friday.
He says the agenda will be substantive, and the meeting could bring the war closer to an end.
Kremlin denies Trump’s warning that Russian economy set to ‘collapse’
Thursday 16 October 2025 00:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The Kremlin has hit back at accusations by Donald Trump that the Russian economy is on its way to “collapse”.
Asked about Trump's remarks at an energy conference in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees energy and the economy for the government, said that Russia had a stable supply of gasoline.
"We have a stable domestic market supply, we see no problems in this regard," Novak said.
"The balance is maintained between production and consumption, and we, on the part of the government and the relevant ministries, are doing everything to ensure that this remains the case."
You can read more below...
